Men's rodeo team moves into first in regional standings

Tarleton State University

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEMonday, October 7, 2013

STEPHENVILLE, Texas—The Tarleton men’s rodeo team enjoyed a successful weekend returning from the Vernon College Rodeo with a team championship after collecting 470 points. The win moved Tarleton’s cowboys into the number one spot for the Southwest Region after competing in their first two rodeos. The women placed in the top 5 for the women’s team champions, and are currently in third place behind Eastern New Mexico University and South Plains College.

In the first round of the goat tying, McKenna Wagner split second with a 7.4 and Cassidy Boggs and Baili Collins both split fifth with a time of 7.7 seconds. Boggs won the short round with a 7.3 giving her a total of 15 seconds on two and securing her spot at the top in the average. Collins split third in the short round with an eight-second run putting her fourth in the average with Wagner fifth after a time of 9.4 in the short round. Collins is currently second in the Southwest Region standings, while Boggs is in fourth place, Wagner is eighth, and Meaghann Winkler rounding out the top 10.

College National Finals Rodeo qualifier Kynder Starr placed third in the first round of the barrel racing with a 17.39-second run and fifth in the short round with a 17.66 giving her a fourth place finish in the average. Casey Carter and Shaylee Williams also made it back to the short round after splitting seventh in the long round with a 17.52. Jaime Barrow is currently second in the barrel racing standings with 150 points, Williams is sixth with 100 points, and Starr is seventh with 90 points.

In the breakaway roping, Karly Rhea Johnson had a time of 2.2 in the first round winning third with Meaghann Winkler, also making it back to the short round after a 2.5.

CNFR qualifier and reigning Southwest Region title holder Richie Champion ended up second in the average of the bareback riding after a long weekend of re-rides. Placing fourth in the long round with a score of 55, he came back in the short round to win it with a 77-point ride. Colt Bruce won second in the long round behind Champion, and ended up fourth in the average. Champion leads the region’s bareback riding standings after two rodeos, with Bruce in fifth.

Saddle bronc rider Travis Nelson had a solid weekend placing third in both rounds and the average with scores of 73 and 65. Tarleton’s Colten Miller is currently second in the regional standings with Nelson in fourth.

Jace Melvin and Samuel Williams were fourth and fifth in the average in the steer wrestling. Melvin was a 6.7 in the long round and 4.9 in the short round where he won second. Williams split third in the short round with a time of 5.5. With wins for Williams at ENMU and Vernon College, he is leading the standings after two rodeos with 175 points. Melvin is currently ranked eighth in the region.

Five calf ropers made it back to the short round for Tarleton. Billy Bob Brown won the long round with an 8.2, Shay Carroll split third with a 9.1 and Logan Loiselle split fourth with a 9.4. Russell Isle and Cole Gifford both made it back to the short round after runs in the long round of 9.5 and 10, consecutively. Carroll had a time of 10.4 in the short round giving him a fourth place finish and split third in the average. Loiselle was a 10.5 and ended up fifth in the round and fifth in the average. Carroll is currently ranked sixth in the Southwest Region.

This year’s CNFR team roping champions, Billy Bob Brown and partner Logan Medlin of ENMU, split third in the long round of the team roping with a time of 7.2, placing second in the long round. Courtney Small and Zac Small split sixth in the long round with an eight-second run and placed fourth in the short round putting them fourth in the average for the weekend. Courtney Small is currently seventh in the heading standings, and Brown is in eighth. Zac Small is sixth in the region’s heeling standings.

The Tarleton rodeo teams will travel a long distance this weekend to the Frank Phillips College Rodeo, Oct. 10-12, held in Perryton, Texas, followed by the Texas Tech Rodeo, Oct. 17-19, in Lubbock.